Meta will pay $17 billion and introduce additional child-safety measures on Facebook and Instagram to settle claims brought by state attorneys general.
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and introduce additional child-safety measures on Facebook and Instagram to settle a landmark trial over allegations that its platforms contributed to teen social media addiction, state attorneys general announced Wednesday.
The agreement resolves claims brought by 47 states and ends a closely watched legal battle that had been expected to include testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg before a federal jury in California.
California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey were among 29 states that sued Meta in 2023. The states accused the technology company of misleading the public about design features they said were addictive and harmful to young people.
In Virginia alone, the settlement is worth $353 million, making it one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in the state’s history, Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement.
“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health,” Jones said. He said the settlement would end the practices identified by the states and provide measures intended to protect children from online harm.
Meta said in a blog post that it was building on its existing efforts to support parents and teens.
“Ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for Meta,” the company said. Meta added that it had worked with state attorneys general to establish what it described as a new industry standard for online safety.
The company also called on rival technology platforms to adopt similar child-safety measures.
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